Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-08-13

In the boat and listened TO the gentle lap
ping Of the water and watched him rise,
TIL presently the slight drift of the boat
brought the odd-shaped rock, or peak, AT
the end of the promontory, which we hau
weatheced with SO much peril. between me
ana the majestic sight, and blotted it from
my view. i still continued to stare at tie
rock, however. absently enough, till pres
entity it became edged with the fire of the
glowing light behind it, and then fstarted,
rs well | might, for | perceived that the
top of the peak, which was about eighty
feet high by one hundred and fifty thick nj
It's base, was shaped like a negro's mead
and face, on which was stamped a most
fendish and terrifying expression. There
was no doubt about it; there were the thick
lips, the fat checks, and the squat nose
standing ont with startling clearness
against the flaming background. There,
too, was the round skull, washed into shape
perhaps by thousands Of years of wind and
weather, and, to complete the resemblance,
there was "A scrubby growth of weeds or
lichen upon it, which against the sun
looked for all the world like the wool on a
colossal Negroes head. 1t certainly was
very odd-so odd that now | believe that it
- ''h " iiSdh III iitibit, ttt u EtEu1-
tic monument, fashioned, like the we'll
known Egyptian Sphinx, 10y n forgotten
people out of a pile of rock that lent itself
to their design, perhaps rs an emblem Of
warning and defiance to any enemies who
approached the harbor. Unfortunately we
were never able to ascertain whether or
not this was the case, inasmuch us the
rock was difficult C access both from land
a.Al H. - Il
things to attend to. Myself, considering
the matter by the light o. what we after
ward saw, / believe it was fashioned by
man, but whether or not this is so, there it
stands, n sullenly stares from age to age
out across the changing sea; there it stood
two thousand years and more ago, when
Amenartas, the Egyptian princess, and the
wife of Leo's remote ancestor kallikrates,
gazed upon its dcvilish face; and there |
have no doubt ii will still stand when rs
many centuries as are numbered between
her day and our own are added to the year
that bore us To oblivion.
What do you think of that, Job" |
asked of our retainer, who was sitting on
the edge of the boat, trying to get as much
sunshine as possible, and generally looking
uncommonly wretched, and | pointed TO
the fiery demoniacal head.
"Oh, Lord, sir answered Job, who now
perceived the object for the first time, Il
think that the old gentleman must have
been sitting for his portrait on them rocks"
laughed, and the laugh woke up Leo.
Halo he said, whats the matter
with me? | am all stiff. Where is the
dhow?n
You may be thankful that you are not
sitter, my boy" ! answered. "The dhow
is sunk, and everybody III board her is
drowned, with the exception of lis -four, and
your WI life was only saved by Il miracles"
and whilst job, now that it was light
enough, searched about in a locker for the
brandy, for which Leo asked, | told him
the history Of our nights adventure.
Great Heavens" he said, family; and
to think that we should have been chosen
to live through it."
BY this time the brandy was forthcom-
ing, and we all had a good pull at il, and
thankful enough we were for it. Also the
sun was beginning to get strength, and
warm our chilled bones, for we had been
wet through for five hours or more.
Why" said Leo, with n gasp, as he put
down the brandy bottle. there is the head
the writing talks of-'the rock shaped like
the head of an Ethiopian"
yes / said, there it is"
"Weli, then" he answered, "the whole
thing is true"
Il don't at all see that that follows" /
answered. ave knew this head was here;
your father saw it. Very likely il is not
the same head that the writing talks of, or
if it is, il proves nothing"
Leo smiled at me in a superior way.
You are an unbelieving jew, Uncle
Horace" he said. Those who live will
see"
Exactly So" ! answered; "and now per-
haps you observe that we are drifting across
a sand bank into the mouth of the river.
Get hold of your oar, job, and we will row
in and see if we can't find "A place to land"
The river mouth which W. were enter
ing did not appear to be a very wide one,
though as yet the long banks OF steaming